Think I Wanna Marry You
by SoonerBrookie
Summary: After Finn proposes, he and Rachel spend the next several days looking back on their romance, sharing the good times and bad while she ponders how to answer him. All the glee members make appearances! Smatterings of Klaine and Brittana cuteness!
1. Never No

Hi all!

Just wanted to let those of you who are wondering about my other story "By You" (which I haven't updated in MONTHS), that I'm currently working on the next SEVERAL chapters for that story. It's now, OBVIOUSLY AU, but I think you will like what I do with it!

THIS story will probably be a long one, that is if people enjoy it and want me to continue, because there's so much Finchel history we have to cover! So, it will probably become SLIGHTLY AU after Tuesday's episode! I'll try to stick as close as I can, but we all know how that goes!

So, without further ado… FINCHEL LOVELINESS.

Rachel POV

"_**Good Morning, Ohio! To wake you up in the right frame of mind on this BEAUTIFUL Saturday, we bring you the lovely Idina Me-**_

With a yawn, I clicked off my alarm clock and with it my favorite AM show tunes station. Normally I would have sung along, dancing around my room to wake up, but my mind was too busy racing.

"_Rachel Berry, will you marry me?"_

Those words were still echoing in my heart and mind as I changed into shorts and a t-shirt for my morning workout. I wanted to melt at the sweet, innocent look on Finn's face, the glimmer of hope and love that shined in his eyes and the long hoped for words that proceeded his proposal… then why wasn't I able to bring myself to speak?

"Yes," I whispered into the Saturday morning stillness as I stepped lightly down the stairs, "Yes."

I tip-toed into the kitchen and gathered ingredients for my smoothie, still deep in thought. I wanted to yell that one, simple word again and again, to throw myself into Finn's arms, to feel safe and loved in his strong, warm embrace. But I couldn't. There's no doubt that I want to spend my life with him, but we're so young… babies, right? I flipped on the blender, remembering.

_How much time had passed? A couple of seconds? A minute? Two? I knew he was waiting for me, but I just couldn't find the words to speak. My gaze kept dancing from his hopeful expression to the shiny ring in his hand. I heard him force a chuckle, sounding nervous._

"_You're just being quiet for, um, dramatic effect or something, right Rachel?" He chuckled again, that sideways grin I love so much flashing across his face. My eyes left the ring and met his again. _

_Still, I couldn't speak._

"_I mean, I know it's not as big as the one Mr. Schue bought Miss Pillsbury," his smile faltered slightly as he looked down at the ring, "and I know I'm not proposing at some fancy restaurant, or central park, or anything like that…" He looked back up at me, hidden tears in his eyes, "I really wanted to do this right by, but I just couldn't wait. I just-"_

_I shook my head then, cutting him off, my heart aching. Is that what he thought? That I didn't think that his proposal was the sweetest, the most beautiful, the most-_

"_It's perfect, Finn." I finally whispered, pressing my hand against his cheek, a small smile dancing across his lips._

"_So…" he teased shrugging playfully, still holding up the ring. I bit my bottom lip and sighed when I saw his face fall at my hesitation. I placed my free hand against his other cheek so I was cradling his face between my palms._

"_Finn Christopher Hudson," I said softly, "I love you so, so much. More than I think even YOU will ever understand. But-"_

"_But." Finn repeated, closing the small velvet box with a snap. He tried to pull away from me, but I held tight._

"_Stop." I said, my voice suddenly sharp, ringing through the auditorium._

_Finn froze, his chocolate eyes wide. I leaned forward to press my lips against his forehead, and lingered there, closing my eyes and breathing him in. I held that position for a long time, reveling in the mingled scent of musky sweet cologne, his sweet breath teased with Pepsi, and a slight hint of sweat that was altogether delicious and 100% Finn. 100% MY Finn. I felt him begin to relax beneath my tough, his hurried breath returning to normal. One hand slipped to rest against the nape of his neck, twining his thick hair through my fingers._

"_I'm not saying no," I breathed against his skin, my lips brushing his forehead as I spoke. One of his large hands ran up my arm to rest against mine on his face, and I felt his shoulders heave in a sigh._

"_I'll never say 'no,'" I assured him, pressing another kiss against his forehead. I slipped off my stool and knelt on the floor with him, never moving my hands. I traced my lips down the side of his face as I knelt, finally resting them against his strong jaw._

"_I. Love. You." I said for a third time, slipping my other hand to the back of his head so my arms were around his neck, "And I'm not-I won't-say no."_

_He ducked his head to rest his forehead against mine, his hand against my arm falling to rest on my waist._

"_You're not saying no," he repeated in a whisper, trying to convince himself. _

"_No." I agreed, and we laughed quietly at that for a moment._

"_Just give me some time, okay?" I asked, leaning back slightly, forcing him to meet my eyes, "Give US time to think and… talk."_

"_Talk."_

"_Yes, talk," I answered, a genuine smile spreading across my face. The shock was wearing off and I felt a new emotion, one of joy tinged with excitement, anxiety, and honestly, yes, fear._

"_But this isn't a no?" Finn asked one more time, slipping the ring back into his jeans pocket. I tightened my arms around his neck and warmed when I felt his strong arms loop around my waist._

"_You must be a very silly boy," I whispered, pressing my body into his, "Because otherwise you would be able to see just how completely and DEEPLY I'm in love with you." I pressed a soft kiss into his neck, just below his jaw._

"_You would see just how LONG I've been in love with you." Another kiss along the other side. "Through the first few months, you know, while I was hiding under your bed," another on his right earlobe as he blushed at that._

"_I was-" I shook my head, silencing him, and continued._

"_Through 'baby gate' with Quinn and Puck," another on his left ear, "through Jesse." I felt him stiffen in my arms, so I brushed my lips along his jaw, back and forth, until he relaxed._

"_Regionals," I whispered after a long moment, "that first perfect summer." I smiled, remembering. I lifted my face and stretched to kiss the tip of his nose._

"_I loved you through those long weeks you were back with Quinn," he ducked his head, tightening his arms around me, "those long months, Finn, that I came close, so close, to believing you had never really loved me at all."_

"_I'm sorry," he whispered, tears in his voice again, "I'm so sorry, Rachel." _

"_I know," I replied, running my hand through his hair, "I'm sorry, too. We were both at fault, but we both helped make it right, too." I paused, then added "plus, that's something I want us to talk about."_

"_Quinn?" Finn asked, frowning, clearly not fond of the idea of bringing up those painful months we were apart._

"_Quinn, Puck, Santana, you, me. The good times, the bad times… the first times." I added lightly, with a small smile, remembering a cozy fire…_

"_Talk." Finn said, nodding._

"_I really think it's important," I answered, tightening my arms around his neck again._

"_And then?"_

" Morning, Princess," Daddy yawned as he padded into the kitchen, breaking me out of my daydream.

"Good Morning, your Majesty," I teased, grabbing a glass from the cabinet. Daddy laughed and leaned forward so I could brush a kiss against his cheek, "Where's His Highness?"

"Sleeping Beauty," he answered, prepping the coffeemaker, "You know, snores, drool, the works." He shot me a wink as he passed me to sit at the kitchen table.

"Cute," I giggled, washing out the blender.

"Hush your mouth, Hiram Berry," My dad said, walking in from the living room, "Don't listen to a word your father says, beautiful. He lies." He pressed a kiss on the top of my head and grabbed an orange from a bowl on the center island. Daddy giggled at that, opening his newspaper.

"Anyway," he said, flipping to the crossword, "what are your plans for today?" I leaned against the island, sipping my smoothie.

"Well, the usual this morning. You know, workout, vocal conditioning, homework. Then I thought I would spend time with Finn before meeting New Directions for coffee and to talk about our set list for regionals." My fathers shared a knowing smile when I mentioned Finn which made me blush.

"Busy day, baby," Dad said, peeling his orange, "think you could fit in dinner with your daddy and me before your coffee date?"

"Of course," I danced forward to kiss the cheeks of the two men I loved first in my life, then finished my smoothie. I set my glass and the sink and turned to head back upstairs.

"Love you both!" I sang.

"Not as much as we love you!" Daddy sang back, my dad adding a "ooooh yeahhhh" in the background. I had to smile. My fathers really were the two sweetest men on the planet.

"_It's a promise. A promise to keep loving you for the rest of my life."_

Okay. Two out of the THREE sweetest men on the planet.

FINN POV

"_I'm not saying no. I'll never say 'no…'"_

"Gooooood morning, Sunshine!"

I groaned as I heard my brother burst through the bedroom door and open the curtains. I pressed a pillow over my eyes, trying to go back to my dream.

"Go away," I moaned, my mind and body rebelling against the morning.

"No can do," Kurt replied, "I'm operating under the orders of Queen Berry, who demands that we wake up at the crack of dawn so we can spend all day, every day preparing for regionals."

"What?" I tossed the pillow aside and sat up, my eyes blinking furiously against the light, "Rachel didn't say that."

"Oh, she didn't?" Kurt pretended to think about it, then grinned, "Oh yes, that was me. Now up, up, up!" He clapped his hands at me until I stood.

"Well, aren't those cute," he teased, nodding towards my superman sleep pants. I blushed.

"Rachel bought them for me," I muttered with a shrug. He turned to leave, then looked over his shoulder.

"Because you're her hero?" He guessed.

"Yeah…" Damn.

"Finchel." He shook his head, closing the door behind him. I grumbled as I reached for my clothes.

"I can hear you!" I rolled my eyes and opened the door.

"I meant for you, too," I lied as I slipped past him to cross the hall into our bathroom.

"Mmhmm." He stopped the bathroom door with his hand and said, "By the way, are you going to tell me why you and my best friend were locked up in the auditorium yesterday? Blaine and I wanted to try out a new song, and the choir room was still crowded."

"Alone time, Kurt," I teased, hoping to make him uncomfortable, "You know. _Alone _time."

"Finchel," he muttered again, this time with a smile as he turned to walk down the stairs. I was still laughing when I stepped into the shower, but sobered quickly as the hot water ran against my skin. I saw her face again, the scary way it looked as I hit one knee…

But she didn't say no.

I wasn't stupid. I knew we were young. I knew that she had big dreams. Huge dreams. I just wanted to share those dreams with her. Was that so bad?

I love her. I know I'm not the brightest crayon in the chandelier, or sharpest bulb in the box, or whatever, but I know that much. I know it hurts to be away from her, to imagine staying in Lima while she left for New York, taking my life's light with her. When she sang "Without You," I knew without a doubt, for the first time in my life, exactly what I wanted for my future.

I just wanted one with Rachel Berry.

So… proposing was the next logical step, right? Okay, so we're still in high school… I get why she didn't answer right away. Still. She didn't say no.

"_And then?" I asked, holding her tight against me. I closed my eyes as I felt her kiss my neck. _

"_And then maybe I'll have my answer for you." Her breath was hot against my skin…_

"_I'll wait for you," I whispered, pressing my face into her hair, smelling her familiar strawberry shampoo._

"_Right down the line it's been you and me," she sang softly into my neck. I smiled and pulled back to look at her face. Never, in my whole life, will I forget that look in her eyes. She looked excited, a little scared, but happy. How was I so lucky, in this screwed up, mean world to find a star like Rachel? In what universe was some goofball like me allowed to love someone so bright, so beautiful, so perfect?_

"_You can kiss me if you want to," she whispered, smiling up at me like I was the treasure._

"_I want to." I pressed my lips against hers, sighing into our kiss as her soft lips parted._

_This time, I wasn't running off._

"I'm heading out," Kurt said as soon as I opened the bathroom door, "Is that what you're wearing?" I glanced down at my black sweater and jeans, confused.

"I thought black was sophisticated or whatever," I said as I crossed back into my bedroom. Kurt leaned against the open door.

"It is, it is," he agreed, "I just don't know if Rachel will aprove of the color."

"She bought this."

"Does Mrs. Finchel by your undies, too?"

Yes. Well, once. Okay, twice now. But Kurt didn't have to know anything about that.

"Anything else?" I asked, ignoring the question.

"Oh, Touchy." Kurt smiled and turned to leave, "I'll text you about lunch with me and Blaine!" He blew me a kiss as he walked away.

Brothers.


	2. Don't Stop

Sorry if chapter one was hard to read because of formatting. Blech. My bad, dear readers! I hope you enjoyed the content, once you got past the formatting! Reviews are like oxygen, and make for GREAT inspiration! What are your favorite Finchel moments? Warning, a huge dose of sweet, romantic Finn coming up! We don't always get to see this side of our beloved Frankenteen, but we know it's there!

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"You smell nice," Rachel whispered from her curled up position against my chest. I blushed.

"Well, you know," I muttered, shrugging, "soap and stuff."

"Soap and stuff." She laughed and pressed her face into my sweater, "Nope, I think it's just Finn." She ran her hand down my chest to let it rest against my stomach.

So, okay. I had grown a lot in the past few years. Matured. I didn't often have to call upon my old civil-servant-turned-almost-road kill friend anymore, but Rachel was just so. Damn. Sexy. So…

Mailman.

Her hand ran lower as she stretched to press her warm lips to my cheek.

Mailman…

Mailman!

"Um Rach?" I tried to move into a sitting position on her bed.

"Mmm?"

"We were going to talk?" She sighed and sat up, too, and the sudden distance between us was almost painful.

"Yes," she said quietly, reaching back to pull her long hair into a ponytail, "about us… from the beginning."

"The very beginning?"

"Don't you want to revisit our love story, Finn?" She asked with a smile.

"Some parts more than others," I said honestly, knowing there were parts that made me look like the world's biggest jackass. Rachel just smiled and scooted closer to me for a moment, kissing my cheek again, before reaching across me to press play on the ipod sitting in the dock on her bedside table.

"Grease?" I asked as the song started, looking down at her.

"You're the one that I want," she teased, poking me in the chest, "Do you remember?"

Did I remember? How could I forget?

"_Are you sure about this, Mr. Schue?" I asked as he handed me some sheet music, "I mean, I've never really sung in front of, you know, __**people **__before."_

"_Relax!" He said, clapping his hand against my shoulder, "better than detention, right?" _

_Okay. I wasn't so sure about that._

"_And what's __**he **__doing here?" I heard a loud voice ask from the back of the auditorium. My head snapped up from the music to see her, Rachel Berry, standing with a group of other people I knew by name… sort of._

"_Can we help you?" Another pushy voice boomed, it's owner stepping forward. Mercedes. Right? Or was it Corvette?_

_Chevy._

"_You all know Finn Hudson, right?" Mr. Schue asked, stepping up towards the front of the stage._

"_Vaguely," Rachel replied, putting her hands on her hips, "his favorite flavor is cherry. Am I right, Finn?"_

_Crap._

"_Um," I stammered, looking to Mr. Schue for help. He winked at me._

"_C'mon, guys. Finn's here to help. We need more members, right?"_

"_Well, if he can even sing," Rachel answered, tossing her long hair over her shoulders. I couldn't help but smile a little at that. She was kind of pretty, really, with her shiny dark hair and big brown eyes that smiled at me, even if she wasn't herself. And when she wore that one black sweater with that green skirt thing…_

_I was a jerk for bullying her, all of them. I didn't want to, though, not really. I had to, if I was going to stay on top. That's what Quinn said. 'Go with the river' or whatever it was. _

"_Well, let's get on with it then," my mouth fell open when I saw that Kurt kid push through the tiny crowd, brushing past Rachel. He still had a sickly pink stain on his slacks from his most recent toss into the dumpster. Was that spaghetti sauce?_

_I __**Was **__a jerk._

"You thought I was pretty?" I blinked wildly for a second, startled by my sudden return to the present. I glanced down at Rachel, who was lying with her head on my lap. I smiled, and pushed her hair back from her face. So soft.

"I thought you were beautiful, Rach," I admitted in a whisper, running the tips of my fingers down the side of her face. She closed her eyes for a moment, smiling. Did my touch effect her as much as hers did me? I hoped so.

"Even though you were dating Quinn?" She asked, opening her eyes again, "The most beautiful girl ever?" I had to roll my eyes at that one.

"_You're _the most beautiful girl ever." She smiled.

"Okay then," she said, happing turning on her side so her cheek pressed against my knee. She rested her hand on my thigh, "Go on."

"_Grease is the word," Mr. Schue said as he handed out music to the others, "The audience knows it, and the audience loves it. I think this could be a great opening number for sectionals."_

"_For once, I can agree with you," Rachel said, tossing her hair again. Okay, she was pretty, but that could get annoying. FAST._

"_Hey!" Rachel said, interrupting me again. She slapped my leg playfully and laughed. I just smiled and shrugged before continuing_

"_Well, thanks, Rachel," Mr. Schue replied, taking it in stride, "okay, can we take it from the top?"_

"_Wait a second," I said, horrified as I really looked down at the sheet music for the first time, "Mr. Schue, am I taking front?"_

"_Taking lead," Rachel said quietly, rolling her eyes._

"_Taking lead," Mr. Schue agreed, "Is that a problem, Finn?"_

"_Oh no," I stammered, feeling everyone's eyes on me, "I was just making sure we were all on the same page."_

_Oh. God._

"_I hope you know what you're doing, Mr. Schuester," Rachel huffed. Mr. Schue ignored her and pointed to the side of the stage to cue the music. Some dude sitting at a piano straightened his glasses and began to play._

"_I got chills, they're multiplyin', and I'm losing control, for the power you're supplyin', it's electrifyin'!"_

_I glanced down the line at Rachel, who tossed down her papers and turned to face me. Holy geez, she was scary._

"Hey!" Rachel said again, sitting up and holding in a laugh. I pressed a finger to her lips and shushed her. She just shook her head with a grin and settled back down, her head in my lap.

_I watched as Rachel sang, trying not to be freaked out by A) the way she was moving those hops. Quinn, remember Quinn, B) the way her eyes got big when she said certain words and C) the fact that she was coming my way._

"_You better shape up,_

'_cause I need a man,"_

_She ran her hands through Kurt's hair, moving closer. _

"_And my heart is set on you!" Was she pointing at me?_

_Shit. Are we supposed to dance and stuff too?_

"_You better shape up-"_

_Man, that wheelchair can fly._

"_You better understand,_

_To my heart I must be true."_

_Oh yeah, this part is both of us._

"_Nothing left, nothing left for me to do!"_

_I could feel my eyes pop out of my head when she grabbed my hand, pulling me into a weird tug-o-war kind of- wait, were we dancing?_

"_You're the one that I want…"_

"Oh, God," Rachel laughed, rolling over onto her back and covering her face, "Oh God. I made a fool of myself, didn't I?"

"It was just different," I teased, "You were very, um, focused."

"You mean crazy?" She asked, arching an eyebrow.

"A little crazy," I admitted, laughing. I grinned down at her, amazed as ever at just how easy it was to be with her. We were in love, we were going to get married (please, God), we "did" things, but she was still my best friend, the one I went to when I just wanted to talk.

"I was just excited," Rachel said, "I mean, I know I could have carried the club on my own if I had to, but it was nice to get a strong male lead."

"And then I quit on you, the first chance I got," I remembered with a frown. Rachel just smiled and sat up, scooting closer.

"But you came back," she said, her face so close to mine I could smell the spearmint on her breath.

"Because of you," I whispered as she leaned in even closer, so close that I could feel the heat from her lips against mine.

"Me?" she asked, her lips brushing against mine. I gulped and nodded. She giggled and kissed my lips quickly, teasing.

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Rachel POV

"Yeah, you," Finn answered as I leaned back, the warmth of his lips still lingering in my smile.

"Didn't seem like my words made much of an impression on you at the time," I said softly, settling across from him, cross-legged, "Although you did seem to appreciate my lab partner lie to Quinn."

"I was an idiot," he groaned, "I was still so worried about my reputation and-" I shook my head.

"Shut up," I laughed, "It doesn't bother me anymore. Quinn and I are friends, at least I'm pretty sure we are, and you and I are-"

"Forever."

I felt a blush bloom across my cheeks, something I didn't experience all that often. I loved Finn Hudson so much, and this time around I was confident that he loved me, truly loved me, too. Still, he wasn't always so outspoken about the complete depths of his feelings, so honest. We shared "I love yous" and other sweet words everyday, but this was different. This was new. It was tender, honest, and real. So real. This time around, I could believe it _was _forever.

"You and I are forever," I agreed with a smile, feeling the tears sparkle in my eyes, reflecting those that were in Finn's. He was the one to lean towards me this time, cupping my cheek in one of his large, gentle hands. God, I loved those hands. He pressed a series of slow, sweet kisses from my temple, down across my cheek, to rest at the corner of my mouth. My lips parted automatically, and I couldn't help but let a small sigh escape between them. I felt Finn's smile against my skin as his free hand traced across my collarbone.

"I love you," he said softly, seriously, and with so much sincerity that I wanted to cry. This boy, the one I had been dreaming about for years, loved me… He wanted to marry me. But there was still so much more to go through before I could say yes. And I wanted to say yes.

"I love you, too," I whispered back, hoping he could hear that same sincerity in my voice. He slowly brushed his lips over mine, our kiss deepening slowly, naturally, like we had all the time in the world. It was sweet, magical even. There was no rough urgency, to rustle of roaming hands, no need for it to lead anywhere else. Just that sincerity, that depth, the young, but maturing, love that defined our relationship. There was passion, of course, fierce passion, but the kind that came from the need for the other's heart, their soul, rather than their body. Finn moved his free hand up run his fingers slowly, gently, through my hair, caressing it. I smiled into our kiss, and rested my hands on his forearms.

_I felt tears sting my eyes as he walked away, tall and proud, back to his life as McKinley High Royalty, setting everything back to order, back to the way it was. I had fooled myself into thinking he had cared about the New Directions, had cared about me. Even though he told he was dating Quinn Fabray (of course) it felt like he liked me. While we were at Carmel, I even thought we were friends. Or getting there._

"_Move it, Frieda," Quinn taunted as she passed back by, "Stop lurking like he'll come back to your pathetic little Kidz Bop team."_

"_Vamanos, dwarf," Santana Lopez added over her shoulder as they walked away._

"_Be Barbra," I breathed, closing my eyes for two seonds. I took a deep breath and tossed my hair over my shoulder before starting for class. I held my head high as I passed through the door, my eyes falling on Finn where he sat by Noah Puckerman in their usual seats in the back row. He smiled a little, like he was secretly trying to make me feel better. I couldn't help but huff dramatically as I turned away from his sharply, taking __**my **__usual seat, front and center._

_Some day, I would be a star. The walls of my fifth avenue apartment would be lined with awards. I would have a Tony, Oscars, a grammy! I would be beautiful, charming, and every straight man in New York, no, the world, would want me! They would want me, but I would be too busy, too driven, to fabulous to bother. Who needs Finn Hudson?_

Our kiss ended as slowly, as naturally as it had began. Finn brushed another sweet kiss against my lips, still cradling my face in his hands. He lifted his chin and pressed his lips tenderly to my forehead before leaning away slightly. I opened my eyes, still lost in the moment, to find his chocolate warm eyes gazing down at me. He smiled when they met mine, and I felt an answering grin dawn across my face.

"I'm glad you came back," I said finally, squeezing his arms. He laughed and ran his hands down my neck and across my shoulders before leaning back against my headboard.

"Me too, Rach," he said simply, "Me too."

"_Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world, she took the midnight train goin' anywhere…"_

_I smiled as Finn's strong voice filled the empty auditorium and stepped forward eagerly to join him. The jazz band's music swelled as I turned to him, walking downstage._

"_Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit, he took the midnight train going anywhere…"_

_Finn smiled as we stretched our arms toward each other, feeling the music. I could see in his eyes that he liked performing. He liked the places his voice and music could take him. It came naturally to him, like it did for me. I shot a smile at Mercedes as we passed each other, letting the song carry us. My hope for the survival of our little club swelled as we sang, and I found myself attaching more feeling to Finn than I knew I should. I had liked him from afar for so long that I couldn't help but pretend there could be something more there._

_My cheeks warmed as we spun slowly around, his big hand resting easily at my waist. His smile was genuine as he looked down at me, his voice resonating from his strong chest. For the first time in my life, I didn't feel alone in the world of my peers. As the others converged around us in a sea of denim and red, enveloping us in their voices, I felt like I belonged. Finn's hand rested on my arm as we sang, and we shared a smile before the group broke apart for our strut downstage._

"_Don't stop!" Boom._

_Yeah. This was the start of something special._

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Ah, Finn Hudson.

Please review! Update soon, hopefully first thing tomorrow morning!


	3. Flour Power

Hello, fellow Finchel Gleeks! First off, thank you, thank you for all the alerts, faves, reviews, etc! They keep a writer posting! I'm sorry I didn't update right away… the weekend got away with me! Anyway, I have TWO, yes TWO new chapters to post for you lovelies tonight! I won't be able to update again before tomorrow night's episode (YAY, I'm excited!) so this story will be slightly AU from Chapter 5 on… That is if you want me to continue! Remember, reviews = inspiration!

Now, for some Finchel!

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RACHEL POV

"Wait, don't eggs come from animals?"

I laughed as I pulled ingredients from the fridge and set them on the center island. Finn was standing in front of the open pantry, reading my favorite sugar cookie recipe. We had made our way downstairs after Finn's rumbling stomach had me giggling too much to continue any kind of serious conversation.

"You know what I mean!" he laughed setting a bag of sugar on the island, "I know they're chicken babies. Or, I guess, could have been chicken babies. I just meant, how are you going to make these cookies without them?"

"Egg substitute!" I sang, shaking the carton at his as I closed the fridge. He raised an eyebrow, not looking very enthusiastic.

"Eggs in a carton?" He took it from me, bringing it up to his eye level and shaking it, "Um, yum."

"Do you want cookies or not, Finn?" I asked, planting my hands on my hips and trying not to get too offended. After all, I knew I loved a "meat and potatoes" man. He quickly set the carton of egg substitute down.

"I want cookies."

"That's what I thought," I laughed, leaning over to pull a mixing bowl out of one of the bottom cabinets, "Could you grab the flour? It's in the biggest canister by the stove."

"Got it," he answered, grabbing it. I smiled at him, then began to mix the ingredients in the bowl. Finn hummed as he helped me measure things out.

"Push it?" I asked, surprised, recognizing the tune.

"Push it real good," he sang as an answer, leaning forward to kiss me, grinning against my lips. I shook my head, laughing at the memory. I guess we gave Mr. Schue a shock at least.

"_S-s-sexy?" Tina stuttered, sharing a look with Mercedes._

"_Like an org-" Finn began, his milk chocolate eyes growing wide._

"_Dear God, Finn, please don't finish that sentence," Kurt interrupted, pretending to shudder, "she's talking about expression. Expressing our heightened, teenage sense of sexual awareness."_

"_Oh, cool," Finn blushed, cutting his eyes down at me before looking away quickly._

"_I have to admit," Artie cut in, straightening his glasses, "I think Rachel's onto something. Teenagers respond to sexy, and trust me, Artie Abrams knows sexy." He popped his suspenders with his thumbs._

"_So what would we sing?" Mercedes asked with a shrug, "Mr. Schue made it pretty clear that he wanted us to sing "Le Freak."_

"_Y-yeah," Tina added, nodding, "And there's no way we could make "Le Freak" sexy. What will Mr. Schue think about us wanting to change songs?"_

"_He's not going to know," I answered happily, smiling up at Finn, "As for the song choice, I thought we could spice things up for our little group with a little 'salt' 'n' a little-"_

"_Peppa! Yeah, boy!" Artie finished, catching on. The others laughed at his enthusiasm nodding._

"_Push it?" Mercedes guessed._

"_Of course!" I clapped my hands together before waving one hand at Finn, "Would you care to help me demonstrate some choreography ideas, Finn?"_

"Best. Moves. Ever." Finn interrupted with a grin, raising his eyebrows suggestively. I laughed at him, shaking my head.

"Oh, you think so?" I asked as he poured some egg substitute into a glass measuring cup.

"Oh yeah," he answered, pouring way more than the recipe called for, "that was the first time I ever got to see the, um, playful side of Rachel Berry. Is this right?" He finished, looking down at the measuring cup.

"Oh, it's just a bit too much," I said innocently, glancing up at him with a coy smile, "We'll have to get ride of some of it."

"Ah, man, I'm sorry, Rach," his shoulders slumped a little, "what are we going to do with it?" Without saying a word, I dipped my hand into the stuff before standing on tip-toe to press my hand to his cheek.

"Don't worry," I teased, "I'm sure we'll think of something." His eyes narrowed as a sly grin inched up his face.

"Flour power!" He yelled suddenly, tossing a handful of the stuff on top of my head. I laughed at his cheesy line, reaching for more of the eggy goop.

"Oh no you don't," Finn laughed, wrapping one arm around my waist and lifting me up and away from the island as he dipped his own hand into the measuring cup, "I've got you where I want you, Berry!" He wiped his hand across my cheek and ran it through my hair as I tried to squirm away, giggling.

"Ew, Finn!" I shrieked, slipping from his grasp. I grabbed a handful of flour and tossed it at him before making a run for it around the island. I grabbed the spray nozzle on the sink, turned on the faucet, and sprayed him. His deep laugh boomed through our kitchen, dancing with my own giggles as he threw more flour at me. I turned off the water and grabbed a kitchen towel, trying to pop him with it. I turned to run again, but he caught up with me in two seconds, turning me around and lifting me off the floor again.

"Surrender!" he demanded, his eyes twinkling.

"Never!" I yelled, laughing and trying to push away from him. He responded by hugging me closer to his chest, his face growing serious. I sobered quickly, mesmerized by the way he was looking at me, like I was the only thing in the world. It was like everything else had melted away in that one second, leaving nothing but the two of us, each tied to the other. Finn brushed his hand across my cheek, wiping up some of the mess. My eyes fluttered shut, the intensity of his gaze almost too much to bear.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, cradling me against his body. I opened my eyes when he whispered those sweet words, brushing some of the goo off his face, too. It almost scared me, the strength of what I felt for Finn Hudson, the sheer depth of my love for his heart, his laugh, his mispronunciations. I wanted to ask for my ring right then and there, to agree to promise to share our lives together. Only a small thread of sanity kept me tied to reality, to logical thinking.

'We're too young,' I told myself as Finn set me on the floor, slowly, his arms still tight around my waist, 'even if we were to wait, what would people think about an engagement?' He pressed a sweet kiss to my temple, making me sigh.

Did I really care what people thought, anyway?

FINN POV

I have to admit, I was a little relieved as I hugged Rachel close to me, so close I could feel both of our hearts beating. We were still able to laugh, talk, and just, well, just be Finchel, even with my "yes/no" question hanging in the air. It wasn't too strained, it wasn't awkward…

It was just… us… natural. And she would never say "no." I brushed some flour from just above her lip, smiling.

"_Hey, Rachel," I said quietly as she passed me in the nearly deserted hallway. She stopped and turned around, hugging her books to her chest. Her big, dark eyes weren't smiling like they usually were when she was talking to me. I was surprised just how much the difference scared me. This was my fault._

"_Do you need something, Finn?" She asked, tossing her hair again. I sighed, still feeling guilty about leaving her alone in the auditorium. I rubbed the back of my neck._

"_No, I just wanted to, um, say hi and stuff." Did that sound as stupid as I think it did? Yeah, probably._

"_Well, hi and stuff," she replied, turning to walk away. I groaned and caught up with her, taking her arm._

"_You're cool, Rachel," I said again. I didn't know what I was trying to say, what I wanted to get at, I just knew how much I hated seeing her walk away. She looked up at me, and shifted her books to one side, balancing them on her hip. She reached up and put her hand on my chest, over my heart. She held her hand there for a moment, and I rested mine on top of hers, waiting. She smiled a little, before letting her hand slowly fall._

"_Excuse me," Quinn said, stepping between us, "What's going on here?"_

"_Nothing," Rachel said sadly, hugging her books to her chest again, "We were just discussing a new number to show Mr. Schue." Quinn just raised an eyebrow and took my hand. I tried the whole 'talking with my eyes' thing, so I could tell Rachel I was sorry, but I don't think I was able to pull it off._

"_I'll see you in Glee, Finn," She said quietly, turning around and continuing down the hall. In that moment, more than anything, I wanted to drop the hand I was holding and run after her._

"I love you," Rachel whispered as my thumb smoothed across her lip. I smiled at the sound of her voice and leaned forward to brush a kiss to her nose.

"I love you more," I said, before pressing my lips to hers, putting a hand to her cheek as her lips parted…

Suddenly, the door bell rang, causing both of us to jump. We looked at each other, then at our mess in the kitchen.

"Hellooooo Finchel!" a sing-song voice called from the front door, "We come bearing delish French cuisine!"

"Kurt." Rachel and I said together with a laugh. I followed her to he entrance way, laughing at the way her now sticky hair stuck up in the back.

"Let us in, let us in, something something hair on Finn's chinny chin-chin!"

"We're coming, Kurt," Rachel laughed as she unlocked the door and opened it. He and Blaine were hand in hand on the front porch, both carrying brown paper bags.

"My God." Kurt said when he took in our appearance, "What in Chenoweth's name happened to you?"

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I'll try to have chapter 4 up ASAP!

Please, please, please Review!Love!


	4. Joy of Rediscovering

As promised, Chapter Four! Please Read and Review! I'll update tomorrow night after "MICHAEL" or Wednesday sometime! Remember, Ch. 5 on will be slightly AU, but I'll try to stay as close to the plotlines as I can!

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FINN POV

"So, alone time?" Kurt asked, raising an eyebrow, glancing towards our cookie mess in the kitchen. He, Blaine, and I were sitting at the table in the breakfast nook, waiting for Rachel. She had run upstairs to hop in the shower and wash the flower and fake eggy stuff out of her hair. I had just stuck my head under the kitchen faucet and tossed off my sweater, just wearing my white t-shirt. I blushed a little, shrugging.

"I was hungry." Blaine burst out laughing at that, quickly hiding it in a cough. Kurt playfully patted him on the back, smirking.

"Well, she must really love you Finnigan," he added as he started pulling food from the bags, "I can't imagine our Diva-girl putting up with such messy shenanigans from anyone else." Blaine burst out laughing again at "messy shenanigans," unable to stop himself this time.

"Bathroom, Blaine?" Kurt suggested, trying not to smile at how tickled his boyfriend was.

"Yeah," Blaine agreed through his chuckles, "if you will just excuse me…" He got up and headed towards the door leading into the hallway.

"It's just down the hall on-"

"The left," Blaine finished as he left the room, still laughing, "I know."

"Really, Finn," Kurt said, standing up to grab some spoons from a drawer, "Do you really not think Blaine and I spend our fair share of time here with Rachel?" He started opening the food containers, including four bowls of some brown soup stuff.

"I guess I never really thought about it," I admitted, reaching for a grape. Kurt swatted my hand away.

"Not until we're all sitting down," he said before laying out some napkins, "But, in all seriousness, you have Puck, Sam, and Mike, right? Well, Rachel has Blaine and me." He smiled and turned to grab some glasses. I kept an eye on the back of his head and reached for the fruit platter again.

"Nah, not one!" he scolded without turning around, standing on tip-toe to reach the glasses.

Damn it.

"So, what brought you to Case du Barry so early anyway?" Kurt asked as Blaine came back into the room, taking his seat again at the table.

"We have just been talking," I answered honestly, smiling as I heard the water upstairs turn off and the soft sound of Rachel's bare feet on her bathroom floor.

"About?" Blaine asked, reaching for a slice of some weird green… well, was that fruit.

"Us." I pointed out Blaine reaching for the food, "Hey!" Kurt glanced over and grinned.

"Oh, Finn, stop being such a tattle-tale. Nobody but Blaine likes kiwi anyway." Oh. Kiwi.

"Anyway," Blaine continued, popping the slice of kiwi into his mouth, "You and Rachel were talking about you and Rachel?"

"Yeah. Well, you know, about our favorite memories and stuff. Getting everything out in the open."

"So, did you tell her all about your 'Faithfully' obsession, then?" Kurt asked, grinning. I blushed again.

"She knows I love that song," I muttered, trying to play it off, "we both do."

"Oh, please," Kurt laughed, waving his hand, "I thought your Ipod was going to implode if it was forced to play it one more time."

"Am I missing something?" Blaine asked with a smile, looking from me to Kurt. Kurt turned to him with a laugh.

"Rachel and Finn took lead in our Regionals Journey Medley our sophomore year," he began, "including a duet of 'Faithfully.' Anyway, you remember me telling you all about their dramatic break-up, blah, blah, blah. Well, Finn started dating Quinn again, which I really never understood, and told me he thought the reason he and Rach never worked out was because he was never truly over Quinn."

"Which was a lie, I'm guessing," Blaine laughed, glancing around, "considering, you know, where we are."

"Huge lie," I agreed, still embarrassed that I had ever said such a thing.

"Because you've always loved Rachel," he added with a smile.

"Well, obviously he's always loved Rachel!" Kurt laughed, "he would come home from a date or something with Quinn, mope around the house for a little while, then disappear into his room and play that damn song over and over. I felt bad for him… at least I would have if he wasn't being such an idiot. We all know who was on his heart and mind."

"_You all were amazing up there today," Kurt said as he curled up on the other end of trhe sofa, loosening his Dalton tie, "Especially Rach… I hate to say it, but __**she **__beat us today. So much power and emotion in that song."_

"_Thanks, bro," I muttered, flipping through the channels, not even seeing what was on, "And yeah… she was amazing." I could feel Kurt's eyes on me as I sat there, thinking about Rachel… Her eyes as she looked at me in the mirror, the swish of her blue dress during 'Loser Like Me,' her smile as I slipped my arm around her shoulders while the crowd applauded us…_

"_Do you want to talk about it?" He asked quietly, taking the remote from my hand and switching off the T.V. I stared at the blank screen for a long minute before shrugging._

"_There's nothing to talk about," I lied, glancing over at Kurt. I wanted to tell him, to tell somebody, that I knew just how badly I had screwed things up. I knew I didn't love Quinn, not really. Hell, I had never loved her, at least not in the way that I had loved, still loved, Rachel Berry._

"_I think there is, Finn," he said, " I see you, you know. I see you stare at her when she comes over. I see how sad you look when I talk about seeing her."_

"_She's my friend," I shrugged, "or at least she was. And I don't get to talk to her, like, ever. Quinn doesn't like it."_

"_Because she knows you still love her," he replied, and it wasn't a question._

"_I… I love Quinn," I lied, my stomach twisting a little at the words. Kurt just shook his head, a small smile on his face._

"_Finn, come on," he said, "we're brothers from another mother, right? You can be honest with me." I leaned forward and let my face fall into my hands._

"_I don't know what I'm doing, Kurt," I groaned finally, trying to rub the confusion from my face, "I don't know how to fix it."_

"_Well, for starters, you could br-"_

"_I can't break up with Quinn right now," I cut him off, "I really do care about her." Yeah, and my pride, proving a point to Rachel…_

"_She'll move on eventually, you know," Kurt said, so softly it was almost a whisper, "Rachel. She'll meet someone else, or move away, or just plain give up completely on the idea of you and her." My heart almost stopped with the pain of Kurt's words. He was right, wasn't he? What would I do, then, if I knew I had lost Rachel? Or what if things were switched? What if I were alone and she was the one walking around, rubbing her relationship in __**my **__face… What if she moved around town, arm in arm with, well, with Jesse St. James?_

"_Jackass," I muttered, remembering the smug way he would look at me as he walked down the McKinley hallways, hand in hand with __**my **__girl._

"_What?" Kurt asked, looking surprised._

"_What? Oh no, not you, Kurt," I said in a hurry, standing up, "Look, I think I might just go to bed, okay? Thanks for listening and all, but it's just been a long day."_

"'_Night," he replied quietly, nodding like he understood._

_I took the stairs two at a time, eager to be alone. I shut my door softly and plopped backwards onto my bed. I could still see her in my mind as she turned her head to look at me where I stood in the shadows, her hair whipping back around as she grabbed the mic from the stand._

"_Yeah, I'll send out a wish, I'll send up a prayer, that finally someone will see, how much I care!"_

_I couldn't help but smile as her voice danced around me, her words hitting me like arrows. The audience jumped to their feet as she held that note and the New Directions moved to their spots onstage. She was perfect, a star._

_I sighed and rolled over onto my stomach, reaching for my ipod dock. I pressed play, knowing it was already on the song I wanted to hear. As it began to play, I buried my face in my arms, remembering how it felt to sing with her that day._

_What was I doing with Quinn. Okay, so Rachel kissed Puck. Quinn had slept with him, gotten knocked up, then told poor, virgin me that it was mine. I felt tears run down my cheek as the music played…_

_I was a friggin' mess._

"And I get the joy of rediscovering you," Rachel's singing brought me back with a jold, causing Kurt and Blaine to look over there shoulders to where she was standing in the doorway, beautiful in a light blue dress. I glanced back at the other guys, then decided that they, out of anyone, would understand if we were cheesy.

"Oh girl, you stand by me," I sang, opening my arms as Rachel walked towards me, a smile on her lips. She sat on my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck, squeezing.

"Always," she whispered as if Kurt and Blaine weren't sitting a foot away. She kissed me softly then pulled back a little, looking across the table.

"Is that true?" She asked.

"Every word." Kurt promised, holding up his hand. Rachel turned back around to kiss me again.

"Funny," she said, standing to take a seat in the chair beside me, "I spent a lot of time listening to 'Faithfully' myself." She winked at me as she spread a napkin in her lap.

"Oh, Kurt, this looks scrumptious!" she reached for a graped and held it to my lips. She knows me well.

"Oh yes. Le Café de la Mer is our favorite," Kurt replied, kissing Blaine's cheek, "even if it is having a "Café of the sea in the middle of Ohio." I smiled at Rachel as she popped another grape into my mouth.

"Can you hand me a crescent, Rach?" I asked, pointing toward a plate of the twisty bread things.

"Croissant," she, Blaine, and Kurt corrected together before laughing.

"Cra-sant," I repeated, unable to mimic their perfect accent. We laughed again, before turning to our lunch.

RACHEL POV

I fluffed my hair, inspecting my reflection in the mirror. I smiled at the bright light in my eyes, the light that shone only for Finn. I reached for some light pink lip glossed and smoothed a dab along my lip, deciding to go without other makeup. Finn always told me he loved it when I went without, saying I was beautiful just the way I was. Even though I often wore more, still insecure in front of others despite his sweet words, I figured Blaine and Kurt had seen me looking much worse.

"Yes," I tried again as I clasped my "Finn" necklace around my neck, "Yes, Finn, I will marry you."

I watched in the mirror as a blush tinged my skin pink. The words sent my heart flying, dancing in my chest, but they still terrified me to say out loud. I knew I wouldn't say no. I loved him too much, wanted to marry him too much someday to say no. Could I say, "Yes, but not yet?" I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of any heavy thoughts, to remember the giddy happiness I felt with us being so close, so openly honest about our feelings.

I turned to leave my room, but a picture of Finn and myself from last summer caught my eye. It was taken when Finn went with my family and I to Six Flags in order to celebrate my Daddies' anniversary and to support Blaine in his first show. My fathers and Finn had (somehow) managed to get me on a "loopy" rollercoaster for the first time in my life and I was beyond terrified. Dad had turned around from his and Daddy's car to snap a picture of the two of us at the exact moment our faces turned to the other's. Finn's hand was cupping my cheek, and he was bent towards me, smiling as he whispered words to comfort me. I smiled at the memory, touching his smile, remembering how safe, how protected he made me feel. I put the picture down, and tip-toed downstairs. Maybe if I let him, he could make me feel that safe and protected about this decision, too.

"I was just too proud to set things right yet," I heard Finn's voice float from the kitchen, so I paused on the stairs, listening, "I pushed her farther and farther away, and I had no idea how to pull her towards me again. I thought I was stuck."

"But you kept dating Quinn?" Blaine asked, "You were together at prom, right?"

"Technically," I muttered, "I came this close to requesting 'Faithfully' and asking Rachel to dance."

" 'Faithfully' again," Blaine laughed.

"You should have seen him after Regionals," Kurt's lilt added, "Remember Rachel's song? It had him all confused." Finn laughed, then got quiet for a moment. I had to strain to hear his voice as he told the other two about locking himself in his room, listening to 'Faithfully' and thinking about me.

"Aw, you cried?" Blaine asked, and I could just imagine his sweet face as he pressed a hand to his chest.

"Yeah, I cried," Finn said, unashamed, "Of Course I did." I smiled, tip-toeing down the stairs to peek in the kitchen.

"_It doesn't make sense, 'Cedes," I said softly as we made our way to the choir room, "Was all we had a charade? Was his mind on Quinn the whole time?"_

"_There's no way, Rachel," she replied, looping her arm through mine, "We all saw how he looked at you, even before he found out about Puck and Quinn." I sighed, shaking my head._

"_Thanks," I said as we paused outside the door. I hugged my books to my chest, peeking in the window. There they were, hand in hand in the front row._

_Our seats._

"_Listen to me, Diva," Mercedes said, snapping her fingers in front of my face, "You are amazing. I know Quinn and I were close last year, but she's changed. Nothing matters besides being the most popular girl in school again." She put her arm around me, squeezing my shoulders in a hug. "Just be the Rachel we all love." I raised an eyebrow._

"_Yes, love." Mercedes said, laughing a little, "We all love you so much, Rach, even if we don't always show it. 'Get it Right' was so emotional and perfect. Keep up with that. Just keep honest."_

"_I love him, Mercedes." She just smiled sadly, and took my hand._

"_I know, we all do. But you know what? He still loves you, too. It will work out. Why do you think Quinn's hanging on to him so tightly?" She opened the door, pulling me in behind her._

"_Besides," she whispered as we took our seats in the back, "Rachel Berry doesn't know how to lose." She winked at me before turning to talk to Sam. I smiled a little at that, and glanced down at the blond and brunette heads of Quinn and Finn. He must have felt his eyes on him, because he slowly turned his head to look over his shoulders._

_He smiled at me, then, a little sad. I smiled back, before looking down. As I glanced back up, I saw that he was still gazing at me, a light that had been gone for weeks burning in the depths of his chocolate eyes._

_Maybe he and I COULD get it right._

"And I get the joy of rediscovering you…" I sang as Finn finished his story, smiling as the three boys in the kitchen turned to look at me. His answering grin made my heart swell as I made my way towards him.

"Oh girl, you stand by me…"

Always.

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Please Review, lovely readers!


	5. Everything

**A/N: Sorry, sorry, sorry! I know it's been a week since my last post! Sorry, sorry, sorry! Hopefully the next few chapters will make up for it! Please, please fave, alert, review, review, review! Reviews are love! Thank you so much for reading!**

**Now. Finchel. 3 **

Rachel POV

"Long time no see," Finn said as I opened the front door with a smile.

"Two and a half hours too long," I replied, melting into his embrace, rubbing my face against his jacket. He chuckled and leaned down to kiss me, smiling against my lips.

"Finn!" My daddy said, walking up behind us, "How many times have I told you not to knock? If the door's open, come in, come in!" Finn tried to pull out of my hug, but I held on, playfully.

"Thank you," Finn said as we closed the door, finally breaking free from my hold but taking my hand as a compromise.

"Of course," Daddy said, patting him on the shoulder, "you're like family, kiddo."

"I'm glad you feel that way, Mr. Berry," Finn replied, his voice full of meaning. He glanced down at me, his eyes bright.

"Finn, Finn! Hiram." Daddy corrected, leading us into the dining room, "Do you two have time for cinnamon baked apples before you go?"

"Sure thing!" Finn agreed, always eager to accept anything sweet. He squeezed my hand before pulling a chair out for me.

"Always so chivalrous," I teased as he sat beside me.

"Finn!" My dad said happily as he burst through the kitchen door carrying a platter of baked apples, "thought I heard your voice!"

"Hi Mr. Ber-" Dad raised an eyebrow, smiling, "I mean Leroy." Dad laughed and sat the platter in the middle of the table.

"Dig in, dig in!" He said as he ducked back into the kitchen. I reached for the spoon and put a heaping helping on Finn's plate, then min.

"Aw," Finn teased, quickly kissing my cheek, "Thanks, Rach." He reached for his fork and took a bite. His eyes grew wide and he held his mouth open.

"What's wrong?" I asked, taking his arm and leaning towards him, worried.

"S-ho-h-" He stuttered.

"Be careful!" Dad said as he and Daddy came back with cider and four glasses, "It's piping hot!"

"Finn…" I laughed, understanding. His eyes watered as he chewed the bite. I shook my head as Daddy handed me a glass of cider. Some things never change.

"_I don't know about this, Rachel," Finn whispered, glancing up to my front door through his windshield. I took his hand, laughing._

"_Finn, stop it. You've met my Dads a dozen times." He smiled a little as he turned to look at me._

"_I know, but this is different." He glanced up at the house again, "his is the first time I've been here as, you know, your __**boyfriend **__and stuff." I smiled and kissed his cheek, my lips slightly parted against his skin. I felt a smile tugging at one corner of his lips as my own lingered against his face._

_God, I loved him. Everything about him. His thick brown hair, the way it curled slightly when he went awhile without cutting it. The way his little boy grin reached his eyes, the way those same eyes would close when we kissed. His awful dancing, the way he thought stomping his heel on the stage and crouching a little __**was **__dancing. The way I could always smell chocolate on his warm breath, and the way it would always surround me as we laughed together. His heart, so kind, and the way I could hear it beating when I laid my head on his chest. His voice… the way it melded perfectly with mine during "Faithfully…"_

_Just him. All of him._

"_They love you," I assured him finally, placing another quick peck to his cheek and pulling back, "And they know just how much I love you, too."_

"_You love me, huh?" he teased, leaning closer, a grin threatening to break across his face._

"_Unfortunately, I do," I sighed, shaking my head in mock disappointment, "Now come on!" I grabbed his hand and pulled his across the cab to the passenger door, jumping out. He followed me up the front walk, taking a deep breath as we entered the house, jumping a little as I closed the door behind us._

"_Daddies!" I called, setting my purse down and taking Finn's hand, "We're here!"_

"_There's my princess!" Daddy sang as he tap danced out of the living room. I had to giggle. He's such a goofball._

"_And our baby's Prince Charming, apparently," Dad agreed, poking his head out from the kitchen. He winked to let us know he was joking, and I felt Finn relax a little. "Come on into the kitchen, you two! Dinner's just about ready." Daddy followed us into the kitchen where Dad was taking some rolls out of the oven._

"_Smells super delicious!" Finn offered, standing awkwardly in the doorway._

"_Thanks!" My dad said cheerfully, smiling over his shoulder, "Hiram, could you set the table for us?"_

"_Yes, dear." Daddy teased, grabbing some plates and ducking into the dining room._

"_Anything I can do, Papa love?" I asked, letting go of Finn's hand. He followed me as I kissed Dad's cheek._

"_You and Finn could toss a salad," he suggested, "Everything else is just about done."_

"_So, Finn," Daddy said as he popped back into the kitchen, "What are your intentions with our daughter?"_

"_Uh…um-" Finn stammered, his wide eyes fearful. My Daddy laughed and clapped him on the shoulder._

"_I'm only joking!" He teased, winking at me, "Relax, kiddo." My fathers both chuckled as Finn glanced at me._

"_We just want to make sure you respect our little girl as much as we do," My dad said, switching off the oven and turning around, "She's our everything, Finn. We just want to make sure you know that."_

"_Yes sir," Finn answered, taking his hands out of his jeans pockets, "I was surprised at how clear his voice sounded. "I mean, she's that to me, too."_

"_What's 'that?'" Daddy asked, reaching for a knife to help me chop tomatoes for the salad. _

"_My everything." Finn stated, a confident smile spreading across his face, "She's my everything. I love her. I'm in love with her." There was a short moment of silence as his words lingered in the air. I felt a tear slip down my cheek as he smiled at me, his eyes lighting up when I smiled._

"_Wow, Finn…" Dad said softly, "That means a lot for me to hear that. You're a gre-"_

"_Shut up, Leroy!" Daddy finally said loudly, his flair for the dramatic so much like my own, "Get over there and kiss him, Rachie, or I'll smooch him myself." We all laughed as I leaned into Finn, standing on tiptoe. _

"_I love you," he said again, so sweetly. I knew he would be uncomfortable to be too physical in front of my fathers, but still, he wrapped his arms around my waist. I smiled and kissed him lightly._

"_I love you, too," I whispered as my dads applauded. Finn and I laughed as we broke apart._

"_So sweet," Dad said, pretending to wipe tears from his cheeks._

"_There is a word for this," Daddy teased, tapping his chin, "Something the kids say these days… oh yes. Holla!"_

"_Never again, Hiram," Dad teased before holding out a plate of meatballs towards Finn, "Try one of these and tell me what you think. Rachel doesn't eat meat, so she's no help." He winked at me as Finn grabbed one._

"_Sure, thanks!" He said, taking a bite. His face suddenly puckered, and his eyes watered in pain._

"_Finn?" I asked, reaching up touch his cheek. He opened his mouth slightly, hiding it with his hand._

"_Bit my tongue…" He muttered, a goofy smile returning to his face._

Yeah, I thought again as I glanced at my Dad who was handing Finn a glass of water, laughing.

The best things in life, like everything that was good in Finn, never change.

FINN POV

"You always have been, you know," I said softly as we walked down the sidewalk leading from Rachel's front door, hand in hand. She turned her face up, the stars twinkling in her eyes.

"Always what?" She asked as I opened the door for her and helped her up into the cab of my truck. I smiled when she turned to let her legs dangle, pulling me closer. I ran my fingers through her hair, wrapping my free arm around her waist.

"My everything." I pressed a kiss to her forehead, brushing my nose along her hairline. She sighed, running her hands up my arms to rest them on my shoulders.

"Liar," She whispered. I stopped, the pain from that one, simple word sent me reeling. I slid my hand from her hair, down her neck, letting it rest at her collarbone.

"I'm not lying, Rach," I whispered against her skin, "That's the truest thing I've ever said." I moved my arm from around her waist and gently shifted her legs so they were in the cab. I pulled back to shut the door.

"Finn, I-" I heard her say as the door slammed shut. I blinked back the tears stinging my eyes as I walked around to my side and climbed in. I started the truck and pulled away from her curb, driving down her street.

"I'm sorry," Rachel whispered, so softly it took me a minute to realize she had said anything at all, "I know you love me, Finn. I just meant there was a time, just last year, that I wasn't your everything. I was being bitter, and I'm so sorry." I could hear tears in her voice, and I glanced over at her. That sound was the worst in the world… it made my heart ache.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, reaching her hand over. She ran her fingers up and down my arm.

"No," I whispered, coughing back my own tears, "I'm sorry, Rachel. I'm sorry that I even gave you a reason to think that. But believe me, you always were."

_What in the name of hell was wrong with me? I wasn't this guy, was I? The jock who thought giving his secret blonde girlfriend a hickey was sending some kind of message? And what message was that? That I was over my crazy loud (but perfectly perfect) ex-girlfriend? That I was some kind of big man again?_

_I didn't feel like a big man._

_I didn't feel like a big man as I dug around in my locker, panicking, because I couldn't find my "Les Mis" ticket stub she insisted I keep, or that picture of us taken at Breadstix last summer that she had covered in heart stickers and stuck to my locker, or the pink headband she had kept in there so she didn't have to run across the school to hers if she need one. I didn't feel like a big man when I wanted to cry because I knew that she must have taken them away from me while I was in class. I didn't feel like a big man when I refused to hang Quinn's picture in my locker, because it was just another damn reminder that she wasn't her._

_Her._

_I didn't feel like a big man when Quinn whispered in my ear that she wanted to meet in the auditorium again and all I could do was worry that she would catch us there. I couldn't stand the disappointment I knew I would see in her big brown eyes._

_And I sure as hell didn't feel like a big man when I told Quinn we had to keep us a secret because I didn't want to hurt her feelings… That was a lie, really. Going public would mean that it war really over. Yeah, I had broken up with her, but still._

_Her._

_Rachel._

_Rachel._

_Yeah, Finn Hudson. Real big man._

"_She knows," Quinn said one day, sitting next to me in the choir room, "She guessed last night while we were working on our song." I felt my heart stop, and I couldn't bring myself to close my hand around hers. I should feel relieved, right? Now I could strut down the halls with pretty Quinn, like the last year had never happened._

_But the last year had happened. How was I supposed to just forget those warm kisses stretched out in her backyard that summer, or her eyes smiling up at me while we sang together, or the way she made me believe I could be something more than just another Lima loser?_

"_Wow, Rach," Sam said, opening the choir room door and letting Rachel pass him into the room, "These lyrics are incredible!" She smiled up at him with that bright, Rachel Berry smile that literally lit up my world. Or did. Or still was. Or, I don't know. I was surprised how angry I was that Sam got to have that light shine upon him._

"_Only child? No way it's better than mine," Puck said, right behind them, taking the paper from Sam's hand and reading the lyrics._

"_Damn." He whistled, tugging a little on Rachel's ponytail, "Hate to say it, but these are good." Rachel thanked him, taking the paper back. She passed me, her dark eyes meeting mine for one second before she moved to sit between Mercedes and Sam in the back row. I wanted to turn around so I could still see her, so I could talk to her, maybe feel that smile shine on me, but felt Quinn's hand on my arm, keeping me in place._

"_Are you going to sing it?" Mercedes asked, and I leaned back in my chair a little so I could listen._

"_Not yet," she said, "It's still a little rough, but I would like to run it by you guys if you don't mind."_

"_As you wish," Sam said in a creepy voice._

"_Seriously?" Mercedes laughed, "Wesley from The Princess Bride?" They then decided they would meet that afternoon in the auditorium._

"_Well, there go our plans." Quinn muttered. I shrugged, then let her take my hand._

_What the hell was I doing? How could I have convinced myself that I loved Quinn when everything I had was aching to be next to the small brunette behind us? It was like I couldn't breathe, knowing she though I had moved on when I hadn't. Not at all. I pretended to smile at Quinn, trying to ignore Rachel's soft voice as she talked to Sam and Mercedes._

_I was stuck._

"I love you, Rachel," I said as I finished the memory, driving towards downtown Lima, "I never really stopped. Not for a second. Now I know I never will." She unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted towards me, relaxing in her usual seat beside me.

"I love you, too," she replied, moving my arm so it looped around her waist. I kissed the top of her head before focusing on the road. I smiled when I felt her lips against my neck, then hugged her closer as she rested her head on my shoulder.

She _was _everything.


	6. Everything Xbox and Hello Kitty

**A/N: Hi all! Just a short note today to send a shout out to ImForeverYoursFaithfully for suggesting Finn sings "Everything," sung by Michael B.! I love him, and wish I had thought of it myself! May I suggest listening to it while you read Finn's POV for this chapter? Thank you, thank you! As always, thank you for the alerts, faves, and reviews! Reviews are my inspiration, and are always greatly appreciated! Also, remember, I own neither Glee nor Michael B… or Xbox and Hello Kitty while we're at it, but I digress. Without further ado…**

**Finchel love.**

FINN POV

"We've beaten the Warblers before," Puck shrugged, leaning back in his armchair, "I don't see what the big deal is, 'cept for them being rich little bitches. No offense, Blaine." He said quickly. Blaine just waved him off.

"The big deal," Kurt answered, sipping his coffee, "is that we know from experience that regionals is never a shoo-in. Plus, believe it or not, the Warblers are a very strong team."

We were all sitting in a group of chairs and sofas in the middle of the coffee shop, trying to figure out songs for regionals. I smiled when Rachel curled up next to me on the sofa, wedged between my side and Kurt's. I played with the ends of her long hair, listening to the others talk. She sighed and leaned into my chest, resting her hand on my leg.

"You're being awfully quiet, Rachel," Blaine said, leaning forward to look at us from where he sat on the other side of Kurt, "any ideas?"

"And so help me, Berry," Santana said from across the circle, "If you even think about saying 'Run Joey Run' not even Frankenteen's imposing size will keep me from ripping your pretty hair out." We all laughed, used to Santana's joking threats. Rachel giggled and pretended to pout. Or at least I hoped she was pretending.

"I've got nothing," she said, squeezing my knee, "I'm really up for anything."

"Hold us," Artie said, raising his hand, "Do my ears deceive me?"

"Yeah, Rachel's been replaced by a robot," Puck agreed, downing the rest of his coffee, "a friggin' cyborg."

"No," Rachel laughed, "I just mean I'm growing. I know all of you guys have amazing ideas, too."

"Like a mash-up of 'Row Your Boat' and 'I just had Sex,'" Brittany piped in, "It came to me in a dream last night." We all just stared at her for a minute, before looking away.

Yep. Rain man with boobs.

"Anyway," Tina said from where she sat between Mike and Mercedes, "What are some other ideas? Finn?" I just shrugged, smiling down at Rachel.

"I've been working on something, but it's not really regionals material," I admitted, blushing.

"Well, halleluiah ," Santana said, "The jolly Finn giant has something."

"What is it?" Sam asked. I glanced down at Rachel with a smile.

_I smiled as I stood next to Quinn, watching as Kurt danced Rachel down the escalators. Her laughter carried down to us, crystal clear despite the music. She was beautiful as she smiled at the guy behind her, whose hands were resting on her shoulders. I bit back my jealousy. This was for her, after all. Puck danced by us, bobbing his head. I laughed, shaking my head as I turned to look at Quinn and say_

"_Barbra Streisand."_

_We both laughed again, then split up, blending in with the rest of the flash mob. My eyes caught Kurt's as he and Rachel reached the floor. He winked before grabbing her hand and dancing her into the center of the crowd. I tried to ignore the guilt again, guilt for so many different things._

_Like this should have been my idea._

"_What is it again?" I had asked Kurt as we washed the dishes. He sighed, taking a newly rinsed plate from my hand and setting it in the dishwasher._

"_Puck and I are staging a 'Barbravention,'" He said slowly, "to show Rachel just how beautiful she is now with the nose she was born with. I felt a guilty pain in the pit of my stomach. Shouldn't I have been involved in this?_

_Oh, right. I was with Quinn._

_Yeah._

"_Anyway," Kurt continued, shutting the dishwasher and switching it on, "We're organizing a flash mob at the mall. We're going to have all the glee kids come, too. I just wanted to let you know, first."_

_So, here we were, dancing around the beautiful Rachel Berry as she laughed, tears in her eyes. I hoped around, just one of the crowd, as Kurt and Puck kept the focus on her, the center of attention. Could she even see me over here, bobbing with strangers? It wasn't fair, really. I couldn't help but feel a little sad as I pointed at Rachel, just one of many._

"_Barbra Streisand."_

_It didn't matter, truthfully. This was for her. I had moved on (ha, okay, a lie) but I still wanted her to be happy (with me, but no one could know that.) I blended back in with the crowd, but I never took my eyes off her. She __**was **__beautiful, especially as she let herself go and began to move with the crowd, shimmying with Kurt and Puck._

"_Barbra Streisand."_

That was the only time I had ever 'performed' in public for her, just for her, and it didn't seem to even count since I was just a face in the crowd while Kurt and Puck got her to laugh again. The distance then was my fault, of course.

But I could perform for her now. True, Brad wasn't here. We didn't have any music. But did it really matter? I smiled and squeezed my arm around Rachel's waist and sat forward a little, turning her face up to as I answered Sam.

"**You're a falling star, you're the get away car, you're the line in the sand when I go to far."**

"Oh Lord, here we go," I heard Santana mutter as I sang, I ignored her, lost in Rachel's eyes.

"**You're the swimming pool on an August Day, and you're the perfect thing to say."**

I stood up as Sam, Puck, and Artie started humming a harmony behind me. I kept Rachel's hands in mine, smiling down at her as everyone in The Lima Bean turned to look.

"**And you play it coy, but it's kind of cute," **I let go of her hands with a wink, twirling an elderly woman into a dance as she and her husband passed us, **"Oh when you smile at me you know exactly what you do."** The lady laughed as I let her go, kissing the back of her hand before turning back to the group.

"**Baby don't pretend that you don't know it's true," **I stopped and smiled at Rachel from across the group of chairs, **" 'Cause you can see it when I look at you." **Puck, who had pulled out his guitar, played a couple of cords, and the rest of the club got up, dancing around the little coffee shop. I twirled Quinn as Mike passed me, dancing with one of the laughing waitresses.

"**And in this crazy life, and through the crazy times,"** I passed Brittany into Blaine's arms, smiling as another random couple, customers actually, danced by them, **"It's you, it's you, you make me sing. You're every line, you're every word-" **I smiled at Rachel where she still sat, grinning, on the sofa, and pointed to her as the Glee kids sang with me,

"**You're my everything." **I laughed and hurried forward to take Rachel's hand, pulling her up to dance. I twirled her away then brought her close to my chest, singing only for her.

"**You're a carousel, you're a wishing well, and you light me up when you ring my bell," **I winked at her, grinning when she blushed.

"**You're a mystery, you're from outer space, you're every minute of my every day." **I kissed her cheek before spinning us back into the group, who had been joined by almost every customer in the shop. Rachel laughed as Puck danced her away from me before Kurt took her hand, bringing her in to dance with him. My eyes never left her smiling face as I danced through the group, too.

"**And I can't believe that I'm your man, and I get to kiss you baby just because I can." **I pressed a quick kiss to her giggling lips as I took her hands back from Kurt, **"Whatever comes our way, oh we'll see it through, and you know that's what our love can do." **I kissed her again before holding her at arm's length for the chorus.

"**And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times," **I sang, looking into her eyes as everyone danced around us, **"It's you, it's you, you make me sing, you're every line, you're every word, you're my everything." **I pulled her close to dance through the bridge, swaying together as I brushed a tear from her cheek.

"**So la, la, la, la, la, la, la," **I sang as everyone joined in, my eyes never leaving hers, "**So la, la, la, la, la, la, la." **I spun her around suddenly, my heart jumping at the sound of her surprised laughter. When Blaine danced her away again, I stood in the middle, singing for her.

"**And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times, it's you, it's you, you make me sing. You're every line, you're every word, you're my everything." **She smiled as I held that note, holding hands and swaying with Kurt and Blaine. I walked slowly towards her as I sang, squeezing her hand as I took it in my own.

"**You're every song, and I sing along," **I pulled her close again, brushing her long hair from her face, **" 'Cause you're my everything."** We danced slowly together as everyone watched us.

"**Oh yeah, yeah," **I sang softly into her hair, hugging her close as we danced. I heard everyone's voices join mine one more time.

"**So la, la, la, la, la, la, la," **we sang, **"So la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la." **I took her face in my hands as I held the last 'la,' slowly brushing my lips against hers as the whole shop broke into applause. I felt her smile into our kiss, pressing her hands against my chest.

"Thank you, Finny," she whispered, using my rarely heard nickname. I smiled as I dropped my hands, only to wrap my arm around her thin shoulders and lead her back to the sofa.

"Okay," Santana laughed, plopping back into her chair, pulling Brittany down beside her, "That was pretty rockin'. Finn didn't even break any noses."

"I agree," Kurt added, running his hand over his hair with a grin, "But I think we're all just one song away from being banned from The Lima Bean for good."

RACHEL POV

"Sleepover with Kurt?" Finn suggested as his lips brushed across my ear, his hands tangled in my hair. We were parked in front of his house, cuddled together in the cab of his truck. I sighed as his lips moved down my jaw, lingering on my skin. I ran my hands across his shoulders, leaning into him.

"I don't know how much longer my Dads will buy that one," I giggled, "but I think it could work tonight." He laughed, his breath hot against my skin. He sighed and pulled away to jump from the truck, running around to help me down. I lifted his arm to rest across my shoulders as we walked slowly up to the front door.

"Want anything to drink?" Finn asked when we walked into the empty house. I just shook my head and pulled him into the dark living room, giggling. He eased us down onto the sofa, his hands firm on my hips. He pressed his lips to mine, coaxing them a part. Our breaths mingled as we kissed, falling into each other. I felt my body flush as I tangled my fingers in _his _hair as I laid back, pulling him on top of me. I broke our kiss, catching my breath as he pressed his ear to my chest.

"I can hear your heart," he said softly, his fingers running up my arm. I smiled, pressing my face into his hair.

"_Can you hear my heart?" Finn asked, looking down at me where I sat, curled up against his chest. We were in his old room, curled up on his tiny bed, watching a move. It was only two days after regionals, only two days after he had told me he loved me…_

"_Mhmm," I hummed, laying my hand on his stomach. I kept my face hidden from him, afraid he would see the fear in my eyes._

"_What's wrong?" He asked, tilting my chin up to look at him. I forgot… He just knew me too well._

"_Figgins is going to cancel Glee," I whispered, feeling the tears I had been trying to hide rush forth, "This is it, Finn. The New Directions are finished."_

"_I know, Rach, it sucks," he said, trying to wipe away my tears, "but we'll still see everyone." He leaned his forehead against mine as I continued to cry._

"_But what about us?" I finally asked, choking back a sob, "You and me? How are you going to keep loving me if we're not in glee together anymore?"_

"_Are you kidding me right now, Rachel?" Finn asked, pulling back so he could look into my eyes, "You think I'm going to just stop loving you?"_

"_You're the __**quarterback**__, Finn," I reasoned quietly, "And I'm just the school freak. Yeah, I'm going to make them all love me when I'm a star, but right now, I'm just known as 'dwarf,' 'manhands,'-"_

"_Beautiful." Finn interrupted, pulling me close again, "Rachel, when I told you I loved you, I meant it. 'Right down the line it's been you and me,' remember? With or without the New Directions, okay?" I just nodded, trying to fight back new tears._

"_I love you," he said again, kissing my forehead, "believe me."_

"_I believe you," I whispered, closing my eyes as he brushed his lips against mine in a kiss. I parted my lips in a sigh, running my hands up his neck, burying them in his thick hair. I felt him smile as he eased me back, his body hovering over mine as our kiss deepened. I giggled as his lips left mine to graze down my neck and back up, his breath teasing my skin._

_That was a first for us. We had kissed, sure, plenty in the past two days. But they were all quick, sweet. It was like we were trying to get to know each other, tip toeing some invisible line. Kissing Finn so passionately was a completely new experience. Grinning, I rolled us over so I was straddling his waist, his hands smoothing down my back. He smiled up at me, his eyes blazing, as I leaned in to kiss him again._

"It's my favorite sound," Finn whispered in the darkness, running his hand down my side. I smiled, new tears threatening to spill down my cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Finn," I whispered, lifting his face back up to kiss him, "I'm so sorry."

"For what, Rach?" He asked, his voice shocked at the tears that were so evident in mine. His frantic fingers brushed at my eyes, feeling my tears.

"For making you wait for an answer," I whispered, "I just need time."

"We're taking time, babe," he whispered back, kissing my wet cheek, "How long are we talking here?" He teased, obviously trying to cheer me up.

"Three days?" I offered, catching my breath, "three's the charm, right?" I tried to sound nonchalant, but to be honest, setting a deadline scared me. I still had no idea what I was supposed to say.

"Three days." he agreed, kissing my eyelids, chasing away the tears. He brushed his kiss down my cheek to my lips.

"I love you, you know," he whispered into our kiss, inspiring new tears.

"I love you too," I replied softly, running my hands down his neck, over his shoulders. I could feel him smile against my lips.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" He asked, toying with the ends of my hair. As an answer, I made to sit up. He jumped up, taking my hand. We walked slowly up the stairs, pausing every few steps for a kiss. When we reached his room, Finn shut the door with a soft snap before wrapping his arms around me, drawing me to him. His hands ran up and down my neck, and I sighed as the newly familiar heat charged between us.

"Finn," I whispered as his lips traced the rim of my ear and his hands slowly started to unzip my dress. I closed my eyes for a moment, talking myself into stopping him, my defenses weak, "Finn."

He paused this time, then pulled back a little to look at me, worry in his eyes. I quickly reached up to press a hand to his cheek, assuring him that he had done nothing wrong. Finn had never been anything but gentle with me. Tender, slow… I shook my head, clearing my mind before I started the kiss again.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Could we just… just lie together tonight?" I blushed, hoping he wouldn't take it the wrong way. I needed him close tonight, but in so many ways other than just physically.

"Oh yeah, of course," he assured quickly, kissing me softly. I smiled, touched by how quickly he agreed to that. There was no pleading, no pressure for more.

He knew how to make me feel special, so taken care of. I stood on tip-toe, bringing his face down to mine so I could brush my lips against his cheek. He smiled, then switched on a lamp on his desk, illumining the room in a soft, yellow glow. He opened one of the drawers and dug through it before pulling out a red "McKinley Titans Football" t-shirt.

"PJs." He explained with a wink. I smiled then reached to unzip my dress, but I paused.

"Oh, do you want me to wait outside?" Finn asked when I stopped. I shook my head, smiling. I knew I was being silly. We had slept together, loved together. He had seen my body before. It was just that the idea of Finn watching me undress _without_ the promise of sex seemed so much more intimate somehow. Like, I could just strip off my "day" identity and just be the relaxed Rachel Berry, trusting him to love me unconditionally and without judging. I unzipped my dress, letting it fall to my ankles, before folding it neatly and setting it on his dresser. Keeping his gaze, I unhooked my bra and slipped it off, laying it on top of my dress.

Finn was such a gentleman.

"Here," he said softly, gathering his shirt up and slipping it over my head, helping me push my arms through the sleeves. He let the big shirt fall around me, engulfing my shape. He pressed a sweet kiss to my lips, his hand brushing hair from my face.

"Do you know just how beautiful you are?" he asked, kissing me again. I blushed and pulled away to climb into his bed.

"Are you going to make me sleep alone?" I asked with a smile, hugging my knees to my chest. He smiled and kicked of his jeans and pulled off his sweater and undershirt. I smiled when I saw his Xbox boxers. Too cute.

"Xbox and Hello Kitty," I giggled gesturing to my panties, "We're a match made in heaven." Finn chuckled before switching off the lamp. He pulled back the comforter and sheet, slipping into his bed beside me. I stretched out in from of him as we laid on our sides, smiling when I felt his lips against my shoulder. It wasn't pressuring, or even suggestive, but sweet and protective. He tightened one arm around my waist, and I culd feel his breath lacing through my hair. I hugged his arm around me.

"Thank you, Finn," I whispered into the darkness.

"For what, Rach?"

"For being as amazing as you are. For respecting me. For making me feel so loved, so protected…" I felt his lips against my hair. When did the stumbling teenage boy I had fallen in love with turn into such a tender man? Fifteen year old me would have called me a liar if I told her it _was _possible to love Finn Hudson more.

"For just holding me." I finished, smiling when he hugged me even tighter back into his bare chest.

This.

This was my everything.

**A/N: Thank you for reading, lovely readers! Please take time to read and review! Reviews really do mean a lot to me! **


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